Electric-arc lamp.



P. BUCHANAN.

ELECTRIC ARC LAMB.

APPLICATION FILED DEG. e, 1909 1,083, 1 87. Patented Dec. 30, 1913.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

ZVi/nawar J11 wwqw UNITED STATES rarnnr OFFICE.

rmx nucnanan, or DAYTON, onto.

. .nLEc'rnIc-anc LAMP.

Specification of Letters fatei'it. Application fled December 9, 1909. Serial No. 532,244.

Patented Dec. 30, i913.

To all whom itmay concern: I

.Be it known that I, FRANK BUCHANAN, of Dayton, in the county of Montgomery, in the State of Ohio,-have invented new and useful Improvements -in Electric-Arc Lamps,- of which the following, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to certain improvements in electric arc lamps for head-lights and similar purposes and refers more particularly to means for steadying the action of the feeding clutch for the upper electrode.

The mainobject therefore is to provide suitable mechanisms for steadyingthe action of the armature and also to preventthe' transmission of excessive vibration of such armature to the electrode-operating clutch so as to avoid chattering or hammering of the electrode.

Another object is to render the action of the armature more quickly responsive to the energizing of the magnet by making such armature in the form of an opened lami-' nated frame centrally fulcrumedat opposite sides of the magnet and extending entirely around the poles thereof, so as to establish a closed magnetic circuit.

Other objects and uses will be brought out in the following description.

In the drawings: Figures 1, 2 and 3 are respectively a top plan, a side elevation and a front elevation of an arc lamp embodying the various features of my invention. Fig. 4 is .an enlarged detailed sectional view through the rocking armature and its connections with the clutch mechanism for the upper electrode taken on line H,- Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is an enlarged sectional view taken on line 5-5, Fig. 1, showing the retarding wheel, the ratchet and pawl and train of gears for transmitting motion from the armature to said retarding wheel. Figs. 6 and 7 are enlarged, sectional views taken respec-' tively on line 6-6, Fig. 1 and 7-7, Fig. 4,- Fig. 7 showing particularly. the connection between the armature and clutch and Fig.- 6 showing one of the bearings for the armature.

material.

' electrode.

The lamp proper comprises a pair of ver=- tically disposed coaxial electrodes --l and --2-, meeting end to end within a suitable globe 3 the lower electrode being adjustable in a suitable guide tube 4 by means of a rotary knurled wheel -5- which is spring pressed through a slot in the tube -4.- against the lower carbon -1-' and adapted to be rotated by a hand operated spindle '6, so as to feed the lower carbon up or down as may be desired. The upper electrode 2 is also adjustable vertically in suitable guide tubes --7- and 8- which are spaced some distance apart to receive and permit the operation of a clutch 9' of porcelain or other insulating The clutch '-"9 normally rests upon thee'nlarged u per end or head l0 of the guide tube a vertical opening or slot -11 through which the upper electrode is passed and adapted to move with an easy sliding fit when the clutch is in its normal position, soas to establish contact with the lower One side of the clutch is spring pressed against the head -10-- by a compression spring --12 and its opposite side is pivotally connected to one end of an upright link section 13- which in turn is and is provided with yieldingly connected to a second link section 14- by means of a spring 15-. The upper portion of the link 13 which is pivotally connected to the clutch 9'- is made in the form of a loop having its sides spaced apart and connected at the top by a cross bar which. is provided with a central guide opening therethrough, while the link 14 which is pivotally connected to the armature -'16'- isprovided with a reduced .stem projecting downwardly through and guided in the aperture in the upper end of the link 13- and terminates at its lower end in an enlarged rectangular shoulder '14" which fits with an easy sliding fit between the sides of the link -13', suflicient clearance beingleft between the shoulder -14 and cross bar at the end of thelink 13- to permit a limited relative endwise movement of the links.

i The spring ---15 is comparatively light and of justsuficient tension to lift the corresponding end of the clutch upwardly and thereby grip and elevate the upper carbon to form the desired gap at the meeting ends of the electrodes, the upper link section -14t having suflicient play to permit vibration of the armature without imparting similar vibration to the clutch.

The upper link section 14 is pivotally connected to one side of a rocking armature -16'- which is centrally pivoted on the inner ends of adjustable cone bearings 18- formed, in this instance, by the inner ends of adjusting screws 19. This 4 armature preferably consists of a rectangular open frame within which is located an electro-magnet --20 having its pole pieces lying in substantially the same plane as the axis of the armature, said armature being normally disposed at an angle with the axis of the electro-magnet with its front end nearest the carbon depressed.

The mechanism for retarding the action ofv the armature and upper electrode connected thereto includes a comparatively heavy balance wheel 21 and brake and suitable means for imparting motion to said wheel from the armature, the brake and inertia of the wheel -21 being sufficient to retard impulsive action of the armature. The means for transmitting motion from the armature to the balance wheel comprises, in this instance, a ratchet wheel 22, a pawl 23 and a gear train 2 1 in which the gears are so relatively proportioned as to increase the resistance to the action of the armature in separating the electrodes.

The entire mechanism thus far described is mounted upon an upright rock arm 25 which is provided with a pivotal bearing 26 journaled in an upright supporting frame '27 said rock arm being adjustable about its axis by means of adjusting screws 28, as best seen in Fig. 2.

The screws -19- upon which the armature 16 is mounted are engaged in threaded aperture in suitable bearings 29- forming a portion of the frame -17-- which is secured to the upper end of the rock arm 25.

-The ratchet wheel 22 and coaxial gear -2-1- are connected to rotate together by means of a bushing -30- which turns on the sleeve 31-, said sleeve being held in operative position against turning by a lock nut 32- which is screwed upon the outer end of the, screw -19- and presses the sleeve against the outer face of the bearing .29 in which the screw 19 is engaged. V

- The pawl -23 is pivotally mounted on a stud -33- on the adjacent side of the front end of the armature some distance in front of the axis of the latter and engages the teeth of the ratchet wheel 22 as shown in Fig. 5.

The balance wheel -2l is journaled upon a stud or shaft 35 on a pendant portion of the frame 17-- some distance below the swinging axis of the armature and is secured to the coaxial pinion of the gear train 21. In order that the momentum of the balance wheel may be further retarded I provide a suitable brake shoe or drag 37 consisting of a gravity bar pivoted at one end at 38 to a fixed sup port 39- and having its other end free to'gravitate against the upper face or riphery of the balance wheel, the latter ing in this instance provided with an annular groove --40 in which the Weighted bar 38- is guided and held against lateral displacement and also affording additional friction bearing for the drag or bar.

The spring 15-- is interposed between this shoulder --14- and upper end of the link 13 and is tensioned so as to allow the clutch 9- to gravitate to its normal vunder such deenergized conditions.

In operation when the electro-magnet is energized the armature 16- is instantly drawn toward a substantially horizontal position. This action of the armature lifts the link 14 and compresses the spring -15- which by its own tension gradually elevates the link 13 and thereby tilts the clutch -9- sufliciently to grip and raise the electrode 2 to form a gap between it and the electrode -1 and thus produce the desired are; When the links 13- and --14- are thus elevated by the action of the armature and the clutch is tilted to separate the electrode -2 from the electrode -1 the spring 15 is under compression and operates to hold the clutch in its tilted positioneven though the armature may continue to vibrate under the influence of the energized magnet thereby preventing the transmission of this excessive vibration of the armature to the clutch which in turn prevents the chattering of the upper electrode. Again when the electro-magnet is energized by the closing of the lighting circuit, the inertia of the weighted retarding wheel 21 together with the connections between said wheel and the armature tends to retard and to steady the action of the armature and thereby prevents too rapid' movement of the upper electrodes and chattering of the feeding clutch.

What I claim is: In combination with the electrodes of an electric arc lamp, a feeding clutch for one ratchet Wheel, and means to retard the iniof the electrodes, an electro-magnet having ,tial movement of the ratchet wheel.

a rocking armature, connections between In Witness whereof I have hereunto set 10 said armature and clutch at one side of the my hand this 24th day of November 1909.

5 electrodes, a ratchet Wheel coaxiaiwith the FRANK BUCHANAN.

axis of movement of the armature and r0 1 Witnesses: tatable independently thereof, a pawl on H. E. CHASE,

the armature for engaging and rotating said I A. L. HUMPHREY. 

